Monday, February 2, 2009
Rob Pattinson: 'I Turned Down Edward Cullen Role'
Rob Pattinson: 'I Turned Down Edward Cullen Role'
22-year-old Brit initially disliked Twilight's improbable story line
By TheImproper.com
Twilight hottie Robert Pattinson almost made the worst mistake of his career when he initially turned down the star-making role of Edward Cullen in the hit vampire romance.
The far-fetched story of the star-crossed love between a 17-year-old human teen and a 108-year-old vampire didn't appeal to him at all. "I didn't realize [Twilight] was going to be this big," says Pattinson, 22. "I didn't want to be involved in a teen thing."
But there was more to Rob's initial reluctance than just a flimsy story line. "Mainly, I had turned it down because I was just scared about the physical aspect of it," Pattinson told Ireland's Herald.ie newspaper. "Because he had a six-pack and I didn't."
In the book, the mysterious and irresistible Edward is described as 6'2" tall, impossibly handsome, with a perfect physique. In contrast, the 6'1" Rob has little muscle tone, dislikes sports and hates working out.
The turning point came when Rob auditioned with Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella Swan. The two stars had an immediate chemistry. Interestingly, Kristen, 18, had an even stronger reaction when she was first approached about the film: She hated it. But the actors saw more to their uni-dimensional characters and brought that depth to the big screen.
"[Rob] understood the character," says Stewart, 18. "He didn't come in and try to be this perfect-looking being. He actually looked like he was thinking about something and he actually looked at me, instead of just hoping that he looked good at that moment and was fixated on his pose. He was perfect for it."
But with a mega-successful franchise comes increased pressure and outsized expectations. Rob, who catapulted from a struggling unknown to an A-list star overnight, is well aware that he must make now good choices if he wants to maintain a long and fruitful career in fickle Hollywood.
"You really have to think quick about your next job if you want to capitalize on this kind of success," he acknowledges. "It's weird, because it feels as though it should open up options, but really it narrows them down, because you have way more to lose. It's stressful trying to find the right thing to do, if you want to have a long career."
Fortunately, the down-to-earth Brit will remain hugely popular for some time to come, thanks to the enormous built-in fan base for Twilight and its sequels, New Moon (2009), and Eclipse (2010), which will be filmed back-to-back.
The franchise's titanic success has ensured that Pattinson will be offered bigger and better roles as well as remain the subject of intense public fascination for at least a few more years.
New Moon hits theaters in November 2009.
22-year-old Brit initially disliked Twilight's improbable story line
By TheImproper.com
Twilight hottie Robert Pattinson almost made the worst mistake of his career when he initially turned down the star-making role of Edward Cullen in the hit vampire romance.
The far-fetched story of the star-crossed love between a 17-year-old human teen and a 108-year-old vampire didn't appeal to him at all. "I didn't realize [Twilight] was going to be this big," says Pattinson, 22. "I didn't want to be involved in a teen thing."
But there was more to Rob's initial reluctance than just a flimsy story line. "Mainly, I had turned it down because I was just scared about the physical aspect of it," Pattinson told Ireland's Herald.ie newspaper. "Because he had a six-pack and I didn't."
In the book, the mysterious and irresistible Edward is described as 6'2" tall, impossibly handsome, with a perfect physique. In contrast, the 6'1" Rob has little muscle tone, dislikes sports and hates working out.
The turning point came when Rob auditioned with Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella Swan. The two stars had an immediate chemistry. Interestingly, Kristen, 18, had an even stronger reaction when she was first approached about the film: She hated it. But the actors saw more to their uni-dimensional characters and brought that depth to the big screen.
"[Rob] understood the character," says Stewart, 18. "He didn't come in and try to be this perfect-looking being. He actually looked like he was thinking about something and he actually looked at me, instead of just hoping that he looked good at that moment and was fixated on his pose. He was perfect for it."
But with a mega-successful franchise comes increased pressure and outsized expectations. Rob, who catapulted from a struggling unknown to an A-list star overnight, is well aware that he must make now good choices if he wants to maintain a long and fruitful career in fickle Hollywood.
"You really have to think quick about your next job if you want to capitalize on this kind of success," he acknowledges. "It's weird, because it feels as though it should open up options, but really it narrows them down, because you have way more to lose. It's stressful trying to find the right thing to do, if you want to have a long career."
Fortunately, the down-to-earth Brit will remain hugely popular for some time to come, thanks to the enormous built-in fan base for Twilight and its sequels, New Moon (2009), and Eclipse (2010), which will be filmed back-to-back.
The franchise's titanic success has ensured that Pattinson will be offered bigger and better roles as well as remain the subject of intense public fascination for at least a few more years.
New Moon hits theaters in November 2009.